Was the war in Iraq Justified?

[The Voice of Reason]

Was the war in Iraq justified? No.
Was the war in Iraq necessary? No.
Was the war in Iraq an exercise in futility, stupidity, and misplaced machismo on the part of the neocons? Absolutely.

Doesn't pre-emptive war violate UN provisions which, as signatory, the US is bound by?

The US may be a signatory, but I think it is self evident that (at least while Bush and the neocons were in power) we were not bound by them.
Hell, come to think of it, Bush and the neocons weren't even bound by the US Constitution.

 

[xkatz]

To be honest the only things we have gotten out of it are a slightly better gov't in Iraq, more insurgents and a ****** off Iran.

 

[aymen amir]

:clap

American dependence on foreign oil dictates instability in the Middle East.

A weaker opponent is easier to rape [Africa].

:clap

 

[joea]

was it even necessary?

no......

 

[Valjean]

We've lost almost all our manufacturing jobs to China and Mexico. The only thing we have left is the "defense" industry and entertainment. Where would our economy -- and congressional campaign funds -- be if we stopped supplying the world with military ordnance? What would happen to demand if belligerants were encouraged to break bread together?

War and strife is our bread and butter. We must generate as many enemies as possible to prop up our sagging economy. The military-industrial complex and Hollywood are the only industries sustaining us.

:sarcastic

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Yes, and that truly is sad Seyorni. It truly is, a country that survives and thrives on violence and barbarism.

 

[Valjean]

To be honest the only things we have gotten out of it are a slightly better gov't in Iraq, more insurgents and a ****** off Iran.

I suspect only the Kurds would agree that the government has improved.

 

[joea]

To be honest the only things we have gotten out of it are a slightly better gov't in Iraq, more insurgents and a ****** off Iran.

So a better government means Freedom ?

 

[Peacewise]

Iraq War Facts, Results & Statistics at March 29, 2010
By Deborah White, About.com Guide
Sources, The Brookings Institution's Iraq Index, Congressional Research Service, ABC News, CBS News

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS IN IRAQ
Iraqis Displaced Inside Iraq, by Iraq War, as of May 2007 - 2,255,000
Iraqi Refugees in Syria & Jordan - 2.1 million to 2.25 million
Iraqi Unemployment Rate - 27 to 60%, where curfew not in effect
Consumer Price Inflation in 2006 - 50%
Iraqi Children Suffering from Chronic Malnutrition - 28% in June 2007 (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007)
Percent of professionals who have left Iraq since 2003 - 40%
Iraqi Physicians Before 2003 Invasion - 34,000
Iraqi Physicians Who Have Left Iraq Since 2005 Invasion - 12,000
Iraqi Physicians Murdered Since 2003 Invasion - 2,000
Average Daily Hours Iraqi Homes Have Electricity - 1 to 2 hours, per Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq (Per Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2007)
Average Daily Hours Iraqi Homes Have Electricity - 10.9 in May 2007
Average Daily Hours Baghdad Homes Have Electricity - 5.6 in May 2007
Pre-War Daily Hours Baghdad Homes Have Electricity - 16 to 24
Number of Iraqi Homes Connected to Sewer Systems - 37%
Iraqis without access to adequate water supplies - 70% (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007)
Water Treatment Plants Rehabilitated - 22%

thanks mate for the sources.

 

[MissAlice]

No.

IMO it was pure terrorism but our country seems to have double standards as to what defines terrorism.

 

[Breathe]

No, I don't think it was justified.

Wonder if we could make this into a poll?

Want me to add one?

 

[joea]

No, I don't think it was justified.


Want me to add one?

Good idea

 

[kai]

well here comes trouble:


yes i think it was justified , but the post war planning was absolutely abysmal.

 

[tumbleweed41]

well here comes trouble:


yes i think it was justified , but the post war planning was absolutely abysmal.

OK,
What was the justification?

 

[kai]

OK,
What was the justification?

the running of a country as a personal fiefdom by a homicidal dynasty, who flouted international law and convention for many years. yep Saddams well gone and good riddance is say, but thats just my opinion.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

the running of a country as a personal fiefdom by a homicidal dynasty, who flouted international law and convention for many years. yep Saddams well gone and good riddance is say, but thats just my opinion.

Do the end results justify it though? Saddam being overthrown made Iraq more violent, the casualties suffered by American troops, with not only deaths but physical and physiological, the death toll suffered by the Iraqis, and the untold trillions of dollars spent, an invasion that was based on nothing more than pure speculation and was illegal at best, and all other things considered, was it worth it?

 

[tumbleweed41]

the running of a country as a personal fiefdom by a homicidal dynasty, who flouted international law and convention for many years. yep Saddams well gone and good riddance is say, but thats just my opinion.

Sudan?
North Korea?
[SIZE=-1]Burma / Myanmar?
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Zimbabwe?
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Uzbekistan?
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Equitorial Guinea?
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Swaziland?
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Eritrea?

Who shall we invade next? Decisions, decisions....
[/SIZE]

 

[Mr Cheese]

well saddam was a bad dude

however things could have been handled differently

especially since the very men that took him down, were the same ones that built him up!

The whole WMD, 9/11 etc of course were smoke screens and exscuses....taking down Saddam of of course had probably been planned since 1991.... the military does plan things in advance,,,,

the problem of course was the the whole thing was largely handled by idiots...instead of the usual bunch of idiots that plan our wars....

 

[Mr Cheese]

Sudan?
North Korea?
[SIZE=-1]Burma / Myanmar?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Zimbabwe?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Uzbekistan?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Equitorial Guinea?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Swaziland?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Eritrea?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Who shall we invade next? Decisions, decisions....[/SIZE]

Sweden

I'm not a huge fan of blondes....but I'm just saying

 

[England my lionheart]

I think it was inevitable and justification was the murder of the Kurds alone let alone all the other minorities.
I do agree though that the post war planning was useless and looked like it was done by a 4 year old,there are other things not to like aswell like Dick Cheney making money from it.


I also think that we think of Iraq as a Country of one people when its a mixture of Kurds,Arabs,Marsh Arabs,Turkmen and Assyrians plus a rich mixture of religions,Shia Muslims around 70% are the majority who during Sadaam and the Bath partys reign who are Sunni Muslim only made up a 20% minority,we all know how Sadaam managed to pull it off,there are also other religious minority groups like Christians,Yazdis,Mandaism,Judaism,Shabaks and Zoroastians.

There are also non Iraqi insurgents to complete a boiling pot of trouble,once Sadaam was captured it left a power vacuum that some people in Iraq think that using the same tactics as Sadaam like killing anyone who disagrees with them will get them into power so IMO it was justified but not planned at all well.